Information for the media

The WTO's Eleventh Ministerial Conference takes place in Buenos Aires, Argentina from 10 to 13 December 2017. The opening session of the Conference will be held at the new Buenos Aires Convention Centre, while all other sessions will be held at the Hilton Buenos Aires Hotel. Practical information for journalists attending the Conference is provided below.

Accreditation

Accreditation for members of the media wishing to attend the Conference closes on 9 November 2017. Please note that media personnel seeking to be accredited for the Ministerial Conference must submit proof that they represent a media organization. This should be provided through a “letter of assignment” from their organization.

plenary session — speeches by ministers (access in person may be limited for sessions attracting high demand)

closing session (limited space available)

Public areas open to journalists at the Hilton are: the ground floor; the second floor (where the press centre is located); and the lobby leading to Room Pacífico A (where plenary sessions take place).

Badges for the opening and closing ceremonies will be available on a first come first served basis in the WTO Press Office situated at the second floor. Date and times will be communicated at a later stage.

NGO Centre

The NGO Centre, located at the CCK, is open to accredited journalists.

Facilities for the media

Press Centre: The Press Centre is located at the Hilton Hotel with workspaces for members of the press. Approximately 300 spaces will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis; spaces cannot be reserved. . Wireless internet connection will be available throughout the center, along with printers, electronic message boards to announce press conferences, televisions, and audio-visual services. A limited number of personal computers will be available for invited LDC journalists. The Press Centre is open 24 hours.

Media booths: Six agency/media booths are available at a cost at the second floor of the Hilton, each measuring about 30 square meters. For information on media booths please contact janaina.borges@wto.org.

Briefings and press conferences: One large press briefing room, along with other smaller facilities, are available for press conferences scheduled by the WTO Secretariat, ministers and other officials. In addition, the WTO Secretariat will organize regular briefings on key topics of interest.

Internet: WIFI will be available throughout the conference venues. The press working area will have cabled connections with high upload speed for use of TV stations and photographers uploading large files.

Other facilities: 3 interview rooms with a decorative backdrop is available for sit-down TV or print interviews or for other private gatherings. For reserving slots at these spaces please contact press.events@wto.org

Services for broadcasters: The Opening Ceremony, the Plenary sessions and all Press Conferences will be offered as feeds for recording directly from the press centre (HD-SDI). Audio outputs will also be made avaiable at the press centre and near platforms in the Press Briefing Room and Pacifico A.

Satellite services by TV Pública: TV Pública Argentina offers satellite services to accredited media during MC11. Prices for such services and contacts for bookings and additional information are available in this note.

MC11 on the web

Following the Ministerial Conference on the web: the main Conference proceedings will be webcast live in the three official languages of the WTO (English, French and Spanish). News items covering the latest MC11 developments will be posted regularly in the run-up to and during the Conference. Photos of the Conference will be provided for download several times a day on the WTO website and on Flickr.

Logistical information

Transportation - WT/MIN17/INF/18 (to facilitate transport to/from the airport, journalists are asked to fill out the attached Form C by 30 November. Journalists should also carry a copy of their accreditation letter )

Background information

Ministerial Conferences take place every two years. These conferences are the pre-eminent decision-making body of the World Trade Organization and include ministers from all 164 WTO members.

Typically at these gatherings ministers review the current work of the WTO, take decisions on issues which the WTO delegations have put before them and on occasion take action to bring new members into the WTO. In Buenos Aires, ministers will discuss proposals related to agriculture, fisheries subsidies, and domestic regulation of services providers. Other initiatives which may be discussed include possible work programmes on electronic commerce, investment facilitation, and micro, small and medium size enterprises (MSMEs).

For more details, check on news about the Ministerial Conference.

A series of briefing notes designed to provide background information on issues relevant to the Ministerial Conference is available here.